It is now time for council management and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to show some vision
The proposed developer-led plan to deliver housing on public lands at Oscar Traynor Road is unaffordable and poor value for taxpayers, according to Social Democrats Councillor Patricia Roe.
“Choosing to deliver this scheme through a private developer will result in an inflation of costs which serves to line the developer’s pockets and, most importantly, has no possibility of delivering the affordable housing – to rent and buy – that our city so desperately needs. The proposed plan is unaffordable and poor value for taxpayers.
“The cost-rental housing will be anything but affordable – with a starting price of €940 per month for a studio. The affordable purchase will only be made affordable through the inclusion of a €130,000 government subsidy per unit – which is not a sustainable or economically viable model to deliver housing and represents very poor value for taxpayers’ money. This kind of public private partnership benefits no one, but the private developer.
“The council needs to go back to the cross-party plan – which has the support of the Social Democrats – for a direct build of the site that keeps costs down and delivers truly affordable housing. This would be financed through low-cost funding from the European Investment bank and would have a tenure mix of 40pc social housing, 40pc cost-rental housing and 20pc affordable purchase.
“I would like to acknowledge the work of, and thank, both the Oscar Traynor Rd consultative forum and the council working group for their efforts to develop a plan for the site and their genuine desire to provide housing and community facilities.
“It is now time for council management and Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien to show some vision and ambition for housing delivery in our city, take the reins and fast track the councillors’ plan for delivery of genuinely affordable housing on this key site.”
1 November, 2021
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